Wish You Would
by Antigone2
Summary: From a prompt: "I sneaked in to this huge house party for some free food but you asked me how I knew the host and the first excuse I could think of was that I'm dating their sibling, so basically I just lied to you about going out with you" I changed it a little and took these two dorks into a full-blown college AU because I can.
1. Well, This is Awkward

**Notes:** Okay so I'm prefacing this by saying, I attended college both in Japan and America and this AU resembles neither of them, equally, tbh. Just play along, okay? It's fiction. :-/  
ALSO this isn't my best work. It's just... I've had writers block for a really long time (like I wanted to write a Halloween prompt and I just... can't...) and this finally broke it so I'm just going with it. Maybe it'll break the dam for something better?  
Also thanks to midnightdrops for helping me tweak it just right (well, as best I could).  
I think we are looking at about 3 chapters.

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **Well, This is Awkward**

"You sure are loving the food, huh, odango atama?"

Whirling around, Usagi put her hands on her hips and swallowed her food in one gulp so her mouth was clear to exclaim, "What'd you just call me?"

He laughed, and she glared. The man leaned against the counter, nodding his head slightly at her. "It's the hair."

She scowled.

"So, how do you know Motoki?" This guy might be very good-looking, Usagi noted, with those sharply blue eyes, if only his lips wasn't locked in that obnoxious smirk.

She shook herself a little. "Motoki?"

"Yeah, the person whose house this is?" he raised his eyebrows, mouth pulling into an amused line - like he was holding back a laugh, at her expense.

"I haven't actually met him yet," Usagi said, nervously. She should just say she heard about the party and thought it sounded fun. Plus, ya know, free food. But something about this guy's expression and those totally unfair blue eyes made her flustered.

"I'm uh…" her mind ran a mile a minute: _friends with? taking a class with? roommates of? dating?_ "dating!" _SHIT. That's the worst lie to give!_ "his, uh.." _brother? cousin? classmate? best friend? roommate?_ "roommate!"

"You're dating Mamoru?"

 _Ugh, what the heck, Usagi? Of course people at this party are going to know the people who live here. Crap crap crap.  
_

"Uh... yeah!" Usagi reached for some more chips, glad the conversation was concluded.

"That's funny, because I didn't know he was seeing anyone," the guy mused, putting his hand to his chin and regarding her thoughtfully.

Usagi shrugged, tossing a pigtail behind one shoulder as she reached around him for some dip. "We've only been together a little while," she said absentmindedly. "Anyway, I should find my friends so…" She glanced around for a paper plate to fill and bring back to her dorm. Her plan had only been just to grab some food and bail.

And honestly, it shouldn't have been too difficult. The party was pretty big, music and guests and loud conversations at every turn. Not wall to wall bodies like some could be, but this was a fairly happening event. Why did he have to single her out like this?

Now somehow she'd gotten caught in a very specific lie thanks to her stupid mouth. Or, rather, thanks to that guy's stupid mouth - which had distracted her too much at that critical quick-thinking moment.

"Wait, wait, but I want to hear about this," he said, "if you are Mamoru's girlfriend. How'd you met?"

Blinking in surprise, Usagi looked up to find him looking at her with sincere interest, one hand still resting on the countertop, his mouth still pulled in that half-smile and his eyes still sparkling with amusement for some reason.

"Uh.. the… supermarket," Usagi supplied, trying not to notice how slim his waist was, and how broad his shoulders. _Focus_ , she told herself, sternly. "We both reached for the same ear of corn, and well, the rest is history!" She was kind of getting into this now, actually.

"Of course," she continued, filling up her plate with cheesecake bites, "with classes keeping us so busy we don't get a lot of time together, so we have to make it count." She smiled at him cheekily, feeling more comfortable now that her story was readily believed. It was a big school, she'd probably never see this guy, or even Mamoru or Motoki, ever again. It made her bold.

"Makes sense," he said, taking a carrot stick, "Mamoru does take a lot of classes. Honestly, I'm surprised he even knows how to act on a date."

Usagi bristled, suddenly feeling defensive of her fictional relationship with Motoki's roommate. Or else maybe something in this guy's half smile was making her feel argumentative. He seemed to be enjoying this far too much. "He's very romantic," she said, firmly. "The perfect boyfriend. But that's none of your business."

He laughed then, a real laugh, and Usagi blushed. "Touche," he said, with a slight nod.

"Well-" she turned and made to go, his voice following her with a contemplative tone.

"At first I didn't think you were his type, but I think I get it now."

She'd just opened her mouth to retort when a call came from across the room, over the din of the party-goers, "Hey, Mamoru! Can you grab more ice from the garage cooler?"

"Sure thing, Motoki," he called back, then turned back to Usagi whose face was burning with embarrassment.

"You asshole!" she cried, wishing she had a drink to throw in his face. Especially because he was laughing again.

"Me? How come _I'm_ the asshole here?"

At that Usagi whirled around in a huff.

"Wait, don't go," he took a step after her. "Please-" Usagi thought his words weren't very convincing when he could barely get them out through his chuckles. But he did reach out and grab her hand, and despite herself Usagi didn't yank it back.

"I'm mortified! You jerk!" she yelled, turning to face him once more, "I'm going back to my dorm and hoping I ever see you ever again!"

"Are you going to throw away our whirlwind romance over a little embarrassment?" He was still grinning at her, but his eyes looked softer now. Like maybe he wanted to laugh _with_ her, instead of at her. "C'mon, odango atama, stay. If you are my girlfriend, I should at least know your name."

Usagi pouted, but still didn't pull her hand back. "It's Usagi," she mumbled.

And, damn, he really _was_ good looking when the sardonic smirk gave way to a boyish smile.

"Hey, Mamoru, less talk-y more ice-y- oh hi there," a sandy-haired and very handsome man entered the kitchen, the sight of Usagi pulling him up short. He looked at her, then at her hand, still linked with Mamoru's, who dropped her hand suddenly, clearing his throat.

"I'm Motoki."

"Usagi," she said, shaking his hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mamoru tense at his roommate's questioning look.

"She's, uh-, 'apparently' my girlfriend," Mamoru said, eyebrows raised at Usagi.

Oh, _seriously_? He was going to try to embarrass her further, and in front of his hot roommate?

"That's right," Usagi answered, with wide-eyed innocence. She reached back and curled her fingers around Mamoru's elbow, pulling him forward slightly. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, with slight surprise. He obviously hadn't been expecting her to play along.

"Right, honey?" she smiled up at him, putting her cheek on his arm. _Well, why not?_ She'd already thoroughly embarrassed herself, might as well go all the way. It'd be worth it for a little revenge. "I mean, _Mamo-chan_." He sputtered at the nickname and Motoki's rich laughter filled the kitchen.

"Wow, Mamoru, I didn't even realize you were seeing anyone!" His smile grew bigger as he looked at Usagi anew.

"Me neither," Mamoru muttered under his breath.

"What's that?"

"She's not- she's-" he opened his mouth and closed it again, Usagi looked at him with an expression that was suddenly hurt and shocked - for Motoki's benefit.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked. How'd she get her eyes to get so wide like that?

"Oh, come on," Motoki said to his friend, shaking his head with a laugh. "Don't get all 'Mamoru' about this now, buddy. She's your girlfriend, she's here, and I can't wait for her to meet everyone!" Motoki cheerfully beckoned Usagi along.

"I get to meet _everyone_?" she said, her mouth opening in a giant grin, her eyebrows wagging at Mamoru from behind Motoki's back. "That will be so fun, won't it, Mamo-chan?" She gave him a very exaggerated wink, before whirling to follow Motoki with a skip in her step.

Mamoru watched her go with an expression that was somehow halfway between horrified and amused.

Usagi was happily being introduced to Motoki's girlfriend, a stunning brunette named Reika, when Mamoru came up behind her. "Mamoru!" Reika said, with a grin, "Does this mean we can start to double date, finally?"

Usagi grinned at Mamoru, her tongue between her teeth slightly. He quirked a brow and wound his arm tightly around her waist, tugging her against him. She tried not to gasp in surprise, as that would totally blow her cover. Mamoru, for his part, looked at Reika with a bland expression, studiously not glancing at the girl he'd tucked tightly against his side.

"He never brings dates around," Reika said, lowering her voice slightly in a conspiratorial tone, "or anyone, really. Honestly, I've known this nerd since high school and he's never romantically interested in anyone for more than a couple days at most."

"Reika-"

She laughed, waving her hand, "Not that they haven't _tried_ , of course, I mean _look_ at him, he catches the eye of girls and guys alike all the time!"

"Reika!"

"Sorry, sorry! I've had a few too many beers I think. I'm just so excited for you two!" She walked away with a wink as Motoki called her to help bring the cooler inside, leaving Usagi and Mamoru alone in the corner for a moment.

"You do realize, this means war," he murmured into Usagi's ear, and she fought with all her might the shiver that went up her spine. This was just a joke, this was all in jest. So, why did his fingers linger against her waist just for a bit, before he pulled away. Why did his eyes dart slightly away while he cleared his throat?

Usagi didn't have much time to ruminate on that, before a pretty girl with a red ponytail bounced up. "Usagi?!" She grabbed the blonde's arm and tugged her away from Mamoru and toward the sofa with a giggle. "My brother Motoki told me you are dating Mamoru?! Oh my gosh! You have to spill _everything_!"

"I uh..." she found herself settled on the sofa with Unazuki perched on the arm, legs tucked under her.

"How'd you meet? How long have you been dating? How come you've never been over before?"

Usagi struggled to keep up with the never-ending barrage of questions, her mind whirling overtime to keep up with the stories she'd already told and new ones she's had have to make up. _Man, maybe even the cheesecake bites weren't worth this._

"So, is Mamoru a good kisser?" Unazuki leaned forward eagerly, eyes alight.

"What?" Usagi sputtered.

' _This means war_ ' Mamoru had said. This was her chance to tell his roommate's sister he used too much tongue, or drooled, or coin him the nickname 'fish-lips' for the rest of the semester. "Well-" A flurry of movement near the kitchen area caught her eye, as her fake 'boyfriend' walked up to help Motoki with the cooler. Usagi found herself staring at Mamoru's mouth, the way the edge quirked up and how his lips moved when he talked, smiled. He looked up and caught her eye and she looked away quickly.

"Yes," she answered, before she could stop herself. "He's... really good. Perfect, actually." And she was answering like she already knew, somehow, what it'd be like to kiss him. Like melting chocolate. _Oh yes. He'd be a good kisser._

Her answer was met with delighted giggles and Unazuki clapped her hands in glee while Usagi blinked and tried to bring herself back to the present. _Focus,_ she told herself again, knowing she was blushing.

"You are quite red, odango atama," Mamoru said, settling next to her on the sofa, slinging his arm around her shoulders like he'd done it a million times before. It felt more familiar than it should, for some reason. "Is Unazuki torturing you, darling Usako?" The nickname shouldn't have made her insides twist the way it did. _Damn him._

"Just asking about your kissing skills, bro," Unazuki said, with a wicked smile.

Usagi told herself she imagined the slight twitch of his muscles as he glanced in her direction, his eyes falling onto her lips for only split second. Then he laughed.

"Then you've been spared, Usako," he said, "usually Unazuki goes way more personal than that." He raised an eyebrow at Usagi, just for a second.

"Not with _your_ girlfriend, baka," she said, "you are like my brother. The details end at kissing, got that?" she wiggled her finger between Usagi and Mamoru with a mock-disapproving expression.

Usagi felt a heat in her face she knew she had no hope of hiding. She was suddenly way too aware of Mamoru's body next to hers, the weight of his arm around her shoulders, his leg brushing hers as they sat next to each other. She avoided his gaze, ignoring his slight intake of breath when Unazuki had teased them.

"So, what's your major?" Unazuki asked, obviously taking pity on Usagi and changing the subject.

"Oh, I don't know yet. I don't need to declare until later this year so..."

She felt Mamoru start a little and Unazuki blinked.

"Wait... are you... an underclassman?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at Mamoru while giggling.

"Sophomore." Usagi glanced between Unazuki and Mamoru with large eyes.

"I'm a senior," Unazuki said, nodding a little.

Usagi twisted to face Mamoru, brows knitting. "Are you a super senior?" she asked, Unazuki laughed out loud at the expression on Mamoru's face.

He scoffed. "Grad student, odango atama. The term is grad student."

"Right," she said, quickly remembering she was already supposed to know all this.

They talked for a bit longer, Usagi found out Mamoru was a first year graduate student, physics major. And, apparently, an amazing student. _I should set him up with Ami,_ she thought briefly, before something sharp seemed to claw its way into her throat at the very thought.

She told Unazuki - and by proxy, Mamoru, but he was supposed to already be aware of it all - about her family and her interests. Mamoru laughed ( _genuinely? or is he just really a good actor?_ Usagi wondered) more than once at her stories. She was hyper aware of his eyes on her, almost never looking away. _Wonder if he thinks I'll steal more food if he turns away for even a moment?_ she thought, internally rolling her eyes.

"Welp, I'm gonna go get some chips," Unazuki said finally, standing and putting a hand on Mamoru's shoulder for a second before an evil grin fluttered across her features. "She says you are a good kisser, by the way. 'Perfect' I think was her exact wording." Mamoru made a strangled sound - something between a cough and clearing his throat. She winked and left them, alone in a sea of people.

"You're welcome, by the way," Usagi said sarcastically, to mask her embarrassment. She faced him and he blinked for a second, seemed to mentally shake himself.

"For what exactly?" he said, the smirk settling back across his face. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't that bad. Kinda cute, actually. His arm was still curled around her shoulders, tightening almost imperceptibly as she looked at him.

"Now you can rest easy, your friends can't tease you about never having a girls over, and I'm sure by the end of the night everyone will know I praised your kissing ability. You have to admit, it's worth a few plates of food, right?" She put her fingers against his chest, pulling at the fabric of his shirt just slightly, curled her body just a bit closer. Anyone watching would assume it was an intimate moment, and leave them alone while they hashed this out. Mamoru seemed content to play along, his eyes dipping down to her, face slightly slack for a moment.

"So what you want me to _thank_ you?" the snark was lost in how breathy his voice was all of a sudden.

 _I want you to kiss me,_ she thought, afraid to open her mouth in case she betrayed herself by saying it out loud. "I'm not that good a liar," she said instead, tongue darting out to moisten her lips, "I know it seems like I am but..." _it was really easy to pretend with you._

"I probably can't keep this up much longer," she continued, making no move to pull away from him. "So, I should just... go..."

He'd dipped his head slightly, his forehead barely brushing against hers. "Sure, right," he said, "Of course." He didn't move, either.

"Mamo-chan-" she was using the stupid nickname without even thinking about it, even with no else to overhear. He hadn't stopped looking at her, eyes darkening in a way that made breathing difficult all of a sudden.

Whatever words she was going to say died in her throat as his eyes moved to her lips. _Oh crap._

"I-," her lips moved slightly, with no sound. Was she breathing faster? or was that him? And wasn't she supposed to be leaving, and not leaning ever-so-slightly toward his intoxicating warmth?

 _We're in public!_ her mind screamed as she lifted her face toward his. He seemed to catch himself at exactly the same time.

"You know... I do live here..." he said, and Usagi nodded at his unasked question.

"Yeah, let's go," she murmured.

There was a blurry few moments of being quickly lead through the dense crowd of party goers - all involved in their own conversations drowned out by the music - and down a narrow hallway. Then his door closed behind them and in one fluid movement he pulled her up into his arms, stumbling back against the door as he did so, and pressed his mouth - that obnoxious, smirking, gorgeous mouth - down against hers. It was pitch black in his room after the well-light living room, the bass of the music and din of the party was muffled. But Usagi barely registered it, hands too busy threading through his hair, body stretching up along his to keep herself steady, opening her lips under his.

She had been right in her guess - he _was_ a good kisser. For a moment, the thought slipped through her mind that she was glad, so glad, she hadn't told Unazuki otherwise, but then his tongue sliding along hers sent her mind into a blurry spiral of desire.

Usagi managed to say his name, when he shifted his body off the door, keeping one arm tightly wound around her waist.

"Hmm?" he answered, his mouth against her neck, her ear. Her hands were already sliding off his leather jacket, his skin jumping at her cool fingers along his arms.

"I never do this-" she said, and he shook off his jacket and pulled her back against him, kissing her deeply, hungrily.

"Never do what?" he murmured, hands on her waist, stepping them both further into the room. "Crash parties for the free food?" She felt the edge of something - his desk? - press into her back, before she was completely lost in another passionate kiss.

"Mmmmnno, I do that all the time," she said, when she could, and she felt him laugh, in his throat and chest. His hands curled around her waist, hoisting her up until she was half sitting on the desk and he was leaning her back, hands in her hair, sliding along her back. "I meant- um-"

"I know what you meant," he said, with a soft exhale of air, halfway between a laugh and a sigh. "I don't either, Usako, I swear-" She shut her eyes as he kissed her again and pondered how much it felt like she knew this already. This heat, this scent, the taste of his lips. She knew, somehow, just how to pull him forward with her legs, just how to run her fingertips across the nape of his neck to make him groan, softly.

"There is just something about you," he said, pulling back in the dim light and looking at her face. Usagi swallowed, licked her lips. _I know,_ she thought. _I_ know. She made herself grin wickedly, put her hands on his shoulders and doing her best to mimic his eyebrow quirk.

"You're just _so_ turned on by girls who lie about dating you," she teased.

"That must be it," he breathed, and leaned forward to kiss her again, nearly toppling her backward onto what had to be a giant pile of textbooks. Squealing a little, she pressed her palms against the desk and shimmied off until her feet hit the carpet. She was still in the circle of Mamoru's arms, his head bent to brush hers. "I don't know what you did to me, Usako," he said, that half-smile tugging at his mouth again, until Usagi stood on tip toes and pulled his face down to press her mouth right against the corner of his - that hitch on his mouth that had her distracted all night long.

"I don't know what you did to _me,_ " she countered, breathlessly. "Just don't stop."

* * *

The next morning, Usagi stood listening at the door, eyes intent and tongue resting between her teeth. It was the day after a party, so some crashers and stragglers may have been passed out on various surfaces in the house, but Usagi was listening for movement. It was mid-morning - she'd woken in the unfamiliar room and stretched from the uncomfortable position in which she'd fallen asleep a few hours earlier.

"Aren't you being a bit dramatic?" a sleepy voice behind her mumbled and Usagi startled a bit before turning around.

Mamoru was rubbing his palm over his eyes, and looking at her blearily. He was cute, all messed up and sleepy - Usagi blushed a little. Last night, they'd stayed up until almost morning, kissing, sure, but also talking, sharing stories and Usagi was pretty sure he pulled out a book of sonnets when she admitted she was failing her Shakespeare class - some of it was fuzzy. But now, in the light of day, she felt strangely nervous.

"I dunno," she wrung her hands a little, "I'm not sure I'm up for running into anyone right now... even though I guess they think we are dating..."

He exhaled a little laugh, leaning back. "I'm not sure you actually fooled anyone."

She blinked. "Wh- what do you mean? You think they _knew_ we were faking?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it was all kinds of obvious, odango atama," his voice sounded thick, as he shut his eyes again.

"But-," she'd sputtered, "I was _so_ convincing! I even convinced _you_!"

"Extremely convincing," he murmured, looking at her with half-lidded eyes. "Completely immersed in your role. Worthy of an Oscar."

Her face on fire, she turned around and slowly cracked the door open, peering through. Then she shut it again.

"Usako...," yes, that was definitely a groan. Almost a whine. "Coffee is out there, I'm in here - you see the problem?"

Her heart shuttered a little at the nickname he was still using - even though his voice had a decidedly annoyed edge to it.

"Okay, okay," she murmured, and slipped through the door and down the hallway toward the front door.

Sure enough, the house was in a certain state, but no one appeared to be around so-

"Usagi?"

She froze at the door, eyes wide before turning, slowly, around. _So close._

"Ami?" Of all the people to be standing the kitchen, looking at her curiously - then Usagi's eyes widened further. _You've_ got _to be freaking kidding me._ "Minako?! What- what are you-"

"Doing here?" Minako said, cheerfully. "I think it's better if we ask _you_ that."

Ami gave Minako a reproachful look and then looked at Usagi kindly.

"I'm here for the same reason you are," Usagi said, quickly. "Ya know. Just got here. Bright and early."

"You are _also_ here to return a workbook you borrowed from your study group leader?" Ami asked with a smile, pulling a very intimating-looking workbook from her bag. Minako snickered.

"Uh..."

"I didn't know you took theoretical physics," Ami said, still smiling sweetly.

Minako looked like she was about to die, and die happy. "Oh man, I'm _so_ glad I tagged along on this."

Minako then turned to Usagi, "After this, we are going shopping. You want to come with? You must need new clothes, since you wore all that yesterday," she said, wiggling her finger in the air in front of Usagi's outfit. "And maybe a hairbrush, Ms. Bedhead?"

Usagi had just taken a breath to retort when she heard the creak of the bedroom door and some footsteps down the hallway, and they were presently joined by a rather disheveled looking Mamoru who blinked at the girls in surprise.

Minako's mouth fell open in unrestrained joy as she glanced between Mamoru and Usagi with growing realization and delight.

"Good morning, Chiba-san," Ami said, with that same sweet smile. "I just stopped by to return this. Thank you so much for lending it to me. You are right, it certainly did help."

"I'm ... glad," he took the book from her slowly, a flush staining his cheeks as he ran his hand through his hair awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Ami said, putting her fingers to her mouth, "I didn't realize you had a party here last night. Your roommate let us in before he left to take his girlfriend home. I hope I didn't wake you?"

"I was up," he said, glancing at Usagi who half-shrugged at him, wishing she'd sink into the floor.

"I see," Ami said, her fingers still pressing to her mouth, as if she was trying to force herself not to laugh. Usagi put head in her hands and groaned a little.

Minako raised her eyes up to the ceiling, "Thank you, God, for this moment and all this moment has given us today. Amen."

"Well," Ami said, curling her arm around Minako and steering her toward the door, "We were just on our way out. Bye-bye Usagi! Think about joining us later, okay? And thanks again, Chiba-san, for the book. See you at study group!"

Minako stuck her head through the door as Ami attempted to close it. "Bye, you twooooo!"

The door closed and Usagi gave Mamoru a sheepish shrug. "My oldest friend, Ami and my roommate Minako?" she said, by way of explanation.

Mamoru poured himself a mug of coffee from the machine Motoki must have left on from that morning.

"Coffee?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, which seemed to amuse him a bit.

He gestured to the workbook on the counter with his mug. "Mizuno is my one of my study group students."

"Ah." Usagi said. "So you know her already. At the party, I thought for a minute of setting you up with her."

"How awkward," he said dryly, taking a sip from his mug.

"I should go," Usagi said. "Motoki'll be back soon and... you don't wanna explain how your fake-girlfriend ended up in your room overnight I'm sure." She laughed nervously. "I mean, heh, considering you... " she glanced at the workbook Ami had returned, now sitting on the countertop among empty cups and juice containers. "Probably don't..." _Jeeze, just how far out of my league_ is _this guy?_

"I guess I better go before some of my other friends decide to show up here randomly," she kept going, unable to stop herself from talking. "Honestly, what were the odds? Ami would know probably...The odds, I mean. She's good at statistics. Well, actually she's good at everything, ya know? Still, imagine if Rei just came by? She doesn't even go to this school. Or Makoto, from culinary school? Maybe to get the recipe for those cheesecake bites because I gotta tell you they were really good -"

He was regarding her silently while she babbled. It annoyed her.

"Anyway, I guess you were a fun pretend boyfriend," Usagi said. "Considering."

"Gee, thanks."

She was aware this was a strange, awkward place to leave it with him but she had to go before she did something stupid - like confess her undying love or beg him to kiss her again or something ridiculous like that. Whatever this pull was he had on her - whatever that unexplained attraction was - it sure had her acting strangely.

The sound of a car in driveway made her jump. Motoki must be back. Usagi really wanted to leave before she had to make small-talk with him.

"I'll see you around," she mumbled.

"We'll always have the supermarket," he said, as the door closed behind her.

* * *

This does require the suspension of belief that Mamoru and Usagi attend the same college. I can handwave it by saying the grad program is much more prestigious than the undergrad, although that doesn't explain Ami. Then again, the anime never tried to explain 'Ami-at-Juuban' either so.


	2. We'll Always Have the Supermarket

**Chapter Two:**

 **We'll Always Have the Supermakret  
**

* * *

Motoki came in just moments after Usagi left, and looked at Mamoru with an amused expression. "You look tired."

"And to think you are majoring in premed instead of out solving crimes," Mamoru mumbled into his coffee mug and Motoki sighed.

"It's too early for your sarcasm."

"It's never too early for sarcasm."

Motoki rolled his eyes pulled out trash bag. "Are you gonna help clean up or just stand there watching?"

"I wasn't the one who threw the party," he countered, even as he grabbed another trash bag and started sweeping debris from the countertop with his hand.

Motoki laughed a little, "You never are." He shook the bag down and started piling dishes in the sink. "How's your 'girlfriend'?" he asked with a smirk and Mamoru shrugged.

"I lost track of her after Unazuki left."

His roommate stood and eyed him for a moment before saying, "Lost track of her? C'mon, Chiba, your bedroom's not that big."

 _So I guess Motoki did notice where we disappeared to,_ Mamoru thought. At the time, he hadn't given a second thought to being obvious - too distracted by the indescribable need to get that girl in his arms, and _now_.

Mamoru gave his roommate a look that gave a very clear message he didn't want to talk about it, but it didn't stop Motoki. Mamoru's 'leave me alone' looks never did work on Motoki, that's why they were friends in the first place.

Instead, Motoki just laughed a little. "It's fine, dude, glad to know you are, ya know, human like the rest of us. Usagi was extremely cute. Pretty hair. Legs for days. You could've done a lot worse."

"Does Reika know you talk about other girls like that?" he snapped and, infuriatingly, Motoki's response to laugh yet again.

In the light of day, Mamoru could see there were things he should have done differently last night. But he couldn't conceive of the night ending in any other way than kissing Usagi. Looking back, it'd seemed inevitable from the start. She'd caught his eye at the beginning of the night, and he was unable to stop himself from teasing her - just to see what would happen - and if her expressive eyes and miles of hair and gorgeous legs had something to do with playing along with her game, well. Motoki had said it, he was only human.

Last night was the first time Motoki had a party that Mamoru had actually enjoyed. Because, along with everything else she was, damn was Usagi... funny. Fun. **  
**

 _"So turned on by girls who pretend to date you," she laughed, raising an eyebrow in a way he knew was mimicking him. Her little hands pressed against his shoulders, pushing him back enough so she could look at him and it'd already been too long since he'd last kissed her but, oh, she was charming. Dangerously so. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was how she felt in his arms -all hair and breathless giggles -and that he was utterly lost already.  
_

They ended up kissing and talking, sharing secrets in the twilight between night and morning, and he'd never been able to stop touching her, to be more than a few inches away. The pull was indescribable, but as real as the books he brought out for her, as real as her fingers with his, trailing on the page. As real as her knees against his ribs as they curled in his bed, when she'd whispered, _"Now, it's your turn. Tell me something true."_

For a while there was companionable silence as the boys worked together to clean up, every so often Motoki would speak up with something he'd learned last night about a mutual friend, or some observation he'd made about the guests. Mamoru mostly tuned him out until he moved on to Usagi.

"Anyway, turns out one of the girls at Reika's place went to high school with Usagi. She remembered her, really well-liked, she said, nice kid," Motoki chatted as he cleaned, "Serial dater, I guess. She'd go out with anyone who confessed to her but it never lasted long. 'Course, maybe she's grown up a bit now. Can't judge anyone on how they were in high school. Oh gosh, can you imagine? Remember when Unazuki when through her emo phase?" and Motoki was off and running again.

Mamoru got himself a third cup of coffee. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Usagi was lounging on the sofa in the living area of her dorm when the door opened and Minako burst through, leading Ami along with Rei and Makoto. After her friends settled in (with greetings and hugs) Minako reached over for the remote and turned off the television.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Usagi said and her friend just gave her a gorgeous, white-toothed smile.

"TV time is over," Minako said, "because I just got to tell the _best_ story to everyone on the way here."

Usagi narrowed her eyes a little, "Have I heard it?"

"You _star_ in it!"

"Oh good," Usagi sighed, falling back on the sofa and putting a pillow over her head - which was immediately snatched away by Rei.

"I still can't believe you hooked up with Ami's tutor," she said.

Ami visibly bristled at the implication she'd ever need a tutor for anything. "He's _not_ my tutor, he moderates a study group of which I am a part."

"Anyway, that's not the important part," Makoto said, with a grin. She sat down beside Usagi and wrapped her in a tight side hug. "The important part is - give us all the details!"

Usagi sighed. "He asked me how I knew the person giving the party and instead of saying, uh, 'I don't?' I decided to lie and say I was dating the party host's roommate."

"Why would you do that?" Ami asked and in response the other girl just shrugged.

 _His eyes were really blue and it super distracted me._ "I dunno?"

"Wait- but _he_ lives there?" Minako said, eyes shifting to the side as she put two and two together. "Wait. Wait. Are you telling us, you literally lied to this guy that you were dating _him_?"

Usagi waited until the laughter around her settled a little. Makoto kept her arm around Usagi, comfortingly, even as she giggled. "Only you, Usagi. Only you."

"Anyway, he played along for some reason and... we kinda teased his friends and stuff and... I just decided to crash there," she mumbled, knowing her blush was giving her away. "Nothing happened," she added, "Not that it's _any_ of your business."

"You know she never kisses and tells," Rei said. "Even in high school, with all those boyfriends."

"With all my dozens of failed relationships," Usagi said, with a saccharine smile. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Dozens is an overstatement," Ami said, gently. "And, anyway, this isn't a 'relationship'. It was just a hook up, so no big deal."

Minako looked at Ami curiously. "You seem sure."

Ami seemed a bit flustered to suddenly be the center of attention. "Chiba doesn't date," Ami said, awkwardly. "I mean, I don't know a lot about him, but he's a bit of a figure in the science department. So... you know... rumors..." her voice had quieted so much all the girls were leaning forward to hear.

Rei's eyes flashed, "What rumors? Is this guy some kind of man whore?" She looked as if she was about to hunt him down and teach him a lesson for daring to treat Usagi like a notch on his belt.

Quickly, Ami shook her head. "No, no... the opposite actually. He's just this kinda private, closed-off guy." She cleared her throat. "That's why I was so amused to see him this morning... I guess he's human after all." She gave a little laugh. "Anyway, no one's really seen him with a romantic partner before, at events or out or anything."

"His friends said similar stuff last night," Usagi mused, not realizing her brows were knitting.

 _'Mamoru does take a lot of classes. Honestly, I'm surprised he even knows how to act on a date,'_ he'd said, before Usagi even knew he was talking about himself.

Makoto looked at Usagi with a kind expression. "You okay, girlie?"

In response, she just shrugged. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She stood up, stretched. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

To her surprise, Ami followed her into the bedroom, full of apologies. "Usagi, I didn't mean to say he wouldn't... I mean, I don't know what happened between you and him, so I d-"

Usagi just lifted her hand and laughed a little, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Ami, it's fine. I'm really am just tired."

Her friend sighed. "Look, at least come with me to my physics study group this week," she said and Usagi recoiled in horror.

"Why would I do that?" she gasped, and Ami gave her an 'are you serious?' look.

"Because Chiba moderates?" Ami said, slowly, as if she was talking to a small child. Usagi blinked a few times before realization dawned on her.

"Oh. Right."

"You don't have to sit through the whole thing, just come at the end. That way, you can talk to him, right? You can say you were coming to take me out for Froyo, if you want an excuse."

Usagi was quiet for a bit, then she nodded. "Okay," she said. "Thanks, Ami." Her friend took her hand and squeezed it for a second, before turning for the door.

"Hey, Ami?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we really do Froyo, though?"

* * *

Ami looked at the door to the classroom and sighed. The study session was already wrapping up, people were gathering their things and chatting softly among themselves about the material, and Usagi was nowhere to be found.

'She'd be late to her own funeral,' Ami thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Mamoru skimmed his notes without really seeing them, before slowly packing up his shoulder bag as the students filed from the room. He had a class to get to, and then a second study session, and he really needed to put some time into his research lab. But he delayed his movements anyway.

There had been an awkwardish moment when he'd come in and met Ami's eyes, nodding slightly and looking away quickly - but now he was considering calling her over, only she got there first.

"Listen," she said, even before he could open his mouth to speak, "I'm not going to get into your private business or anything, but Usagi has been my friend since middle school-" at his surprised blink she shrugged and explained, "once you are Usagi's friend, you are her friend forever." She took a breath and continued, "Anyway, I just think you should talk to her. After what happened, you can't just walk away without a word."

"That wasn't my intention," he said, looking flustered. He met her eyes and Ami couldn't help thinking he looked very young at that moment, like a kid in high school asking after a crush. "Has she mentioned me?"

Ami gave him a look that, she hoped anyway, clearly conveyed that she was far above playing cupid - when Usagi finally appeared in the doorway and caught her eye. _Well, I guess not_ that _far above playing cupid,_ Ami admitted to herself. After all, she had asked Usagi to come.

Usagi looked around the classroom warily, as if she thought a mathematical formula would come out of the wall and bite her. "Um," she smiled sheepishly and waved her fingers. "Hi?"

"Hey, my former girlfriend," Mamoru said, with a smirk Ami had never seen before. Usagi wrinkled her nose in response.

"Former? Did I miss our break-up? Was it dramatic? Did I throw a drink in your face?"

"And some punches," he said.

"I'm sure you had it coming," she quipped, putting her hands on her hips.

"At least we'll always have the supermarket."

Ami marveled at how quickly it was like she wasn't standing right there - they only had eyes for each other, and the energy around them was so intense she had to take a step back. She hovered in the doorway, giving them some privacy while they talked.

Mamoru was trying to find his footing in the conversation, as easy as it was to throw one-liners, he had to admit he was almost mesmerized - again- by those sparkling eyes and the way her fingers curled at her sides, the strands of hair skimming along her ears. God, he wanted to kiss her again. Or maybe just hold her hand and listen to her voice as she read from his book of poetry.

 _"I don't know if I like this one," Her fingers trailed down the lines on the page. "It's too sad." Her head leaned against his shoulder and he put his hand on her back, pulling her closer. "I want one where she doesn't die in the end," she said._

 _"Then you won't have much luck with Poe," he'd answered, and flipped some pages. "These are all in translation - what about Japanese poems?"_

 _"Read me yours," she whispered and he shook his head, even as she begged. "One you wrote."  
_

 _"I regret mentioning it," he muttered and she'd giggled, fingers tickling along his neck, lips at his ear._

 _"Write a poem about me," she said and he'd kissed her instead, his hand winding around the back of her head, twining through her hair._

 _"You are a poem," he'd said into her mouth and she'd laughed again, against his lips, her knee brushing up against his thigh._

 _"Cheesy."_

He shook himself. In the light of day, it felt so strange to be that close to someone, so soon. Something about that night had him in some sort of trance, or something he couldn't explain. How he'd felt like he'd known her forever, and yet everything was so explicitly new and unexpected.

"We were going to get some frozen yogurt, did you want to come?" Usagi asked.

"I can't," he shifted his bag on his shoulder. "I have a class and then-."

"Right," she interrupted, biting her lip for a moment. "Always busy, like you said at the party." She sighed. "I guess... you don't really have time for anything... like dating or whatever." _Smooth!_ Usagi congratulated herself sarcastically. "Because you already told me you. Don't."

He swallowed, his throat like sandpaper all of a sudden. "I'd like to be your friend," the words came out faster than he expected, but the relief that followed almost drained him. At least, he assumed that deflating feeling in his chest was relief. After all, Ami had said it herself, once you are Usagi's friend, you are her friend forever. From what Motoki told him, the boys she'd dated weren't so lucky. Logically, this was a much better option. ' _Coward,_ ' a voice whispered in his head.

"Sure, yeah," she said quickly. Without realizing it, she took a step backwards, away from him. "That makes sense. I'd really like that." Her smile was sincere. "I'm always up for making new friends."

"Come by the house this weekend," Mamoru said, and Usagi nodded.

Mamoru left in a hurry to get to his class, but he gave one last awkward wave and smile as he left. Ami stepped forward, stopped by Usagi's side as she lowered her arm.

"You okay?" Ami asked, searching Usagi's eyes.

 _"Tell me something true," she'd said and he'd sighed against her shoulder._

 _"You first."_

Usagi blinked. Smiled. "I'm fine," she said.

* * *

"Ah! She wins again!" Motoki laughed, throwing up his hands in surrender.

Usagi put down her controller and preened a bit from her spot on the floor. Leaning back against Mamoru's legs, she grinned up at him. "Hey, look at that, I'm good at something you suck at."

"Yeah, too bad you can't major in video games."

"Oooh shots fired!" Unazuki said.

"Whatever, Mamo-chan," Usagi said, "Let me know if you need me to tutor you sometime."

"You don't practice, enough, that's what it is," Reika chimed in from where she was perched next to Motoki. "Drop a class or two, really put some time in. Then maybe you can finally win against Usagi."

Although it'd only been a few weeks since she'd started regularly coming by the house, Reika and the Furuhata siblings had already welcomed her with open arms. She and Mamoru had to stand a few pointed barbs at their embarrassing party theatrics the night they met, but pretty soon it all faded into good-natured teasing. And if the others ever noticed the many charged moments between her and Mamoru - well, they were too polite to comment. At least to her. Mamoru continued to call her Usako, so Usagi kept 'Mamo-chan' - at first because it amused the others but now it sort of stuck.

"Ugh, speaking of classes I have some homework I need to do..." Usagi trailed off, eyeing her book bag with undisguised dislike.

"Maybe I can help you," Mamoru suggested. Sharing a pointed look, Motoki and Reika headed off, pulling Unazuki behind them as Usagi pulled her book out of her bag.

"What is it?" Mamoru slid down next to her on the floor, and she opened her book and frowned. "Shakespeare again?"

"Soseki's _Kusamakura_ ," she mumbled. "But it's hard to read."

"The kanji is kind of archaic," Mamoru said, "Does your copy have a glossary or...?" He moved closer to her and she showed him the words she'd circled. With a pencil, he started to gloss some of the harder terms in tiny, neat letters. Usagi leaned forward, watching him carefully.

"Thanks," she murmured, and suddenly Mamoru realized just how _close_ she was, and how _alone_ they were - for the first time since they'd met. He felt so drawn to her, still, just like the night they met. Staying in large groups and keeping their interactions light and teasing hadn't really worked to curb his feelings. No matter what, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her.

Mamoru forced his eyes back to the text, but she'd leaned in closer to the page and the nearness of her skin was too overpowering to be ignored. He only had to turn his head the slightest bit to brush his lips against her cheek - where the wisps of hair fell in front of her ear. Usagi inhaled quickly, eyes widening.

"I'm sorry-" he started, but she just shifted to face him, lifting her fingertips to brush the hair at the nape of his neck. He met her eyes for a moment, her gaze was steady and intense and then her eyelids fluttered shut and he kissed her - slowly, deliberately. He put a hand on her waist, shifting her over him, so her knees rested on the carpet on either side of his legs. She straightened her back and he leaned his head against the cushions of the sofa, mouth open under hers, her fingertips sending currents of electricity along his ears and neck.

Usagi was aware of her surroundings enough to realize that the living room of a shared house was probably not the most ideal location for what they were doing, and also that this wasn't really going to help her get through her literature homework. Neither thought bothered her much, especially as his kisses seemed to build in intensity, turning her thought process to mush.

It was only when he pulled away enough to sigh softly that something in her seemed to break, and she pushed away hurriedly, climbing off him as best she could without kneeing him in the stomach.

"I gotta go," she mumbled, grabbing her book and standing up. She straightened her skirt and shrugged her bag over her shoulder. She met Mamoru's gaze and smiled warmly until the worried look faded from his eyes. "Thanks for your help," she added, as an afterthought. He stood, but she hurried to the door before he could walk her out.

* * *

"Minako!" Usagi burst into their dorm, slamming the door against the wall with a loud bang that made Minako and Ami jump from where they were cuddled on the sofa, watching a movie.

"The hell happened to you?" Minako asked, concern coloring her voice as she noticed the tears coursing down her friend's face.

"I'll make some tea," Ami jumped up and headed toward the kitchen area, keeping an ear out as Usagi tearfully poured her heart out between sobs.

"I can't do this, Minako," she said, finally, scrubbing her hand over her eyes, "I thought I could, but I can't. I think I'm in love with him."

"So...," Minako was saying as Ami returned and handed Usagi a warm mug. "You just ran outta there without a word?"

Sniffling, Usagi nodded.

Minako sighed. "A-plus handling of the situation."

"I _know_ ," Usagi groaned, shutting her eyes. "But I didn't know what else to do. How can I be around him if I want him so badly and he just wants to be friends?"

"Usagi, if the man just wants to be friends, he needs to stop sticking his tongue down your throat, you know what I mean?"

"Minako!" Ami said. Then she paused, turned toward Usagi. "Actually, she has a point."

"You need to make boundaries," Minako said, firmly. "Tell him friends means 'friends'. You have to protect your heart first."

A fresh batch of tears threatened to fall, and Ami reached out and curled her arm around Usagi. "Usagi? Why don't do you just talk to him? He seems to really like you. Maybe he just needs to know you feel the same way?"

 _"Now it's your turn. Tell me something true."_

 _He didn't loosen his grip on her, his head on her shoulder. He seemed to think for a while. "I lost my parents when I was little, and I don't remember them at all." His voice was matter-of-fact, but so quiet she had to strain to hear him even in the silence of the room.  
_

 _She'd shifted, pulling back to try to see his face. "What?" she'd whispered, and he shrugged as best he could from his position curled on the bed._

 _"I was six, we were in a car accident. I don't remember anything at all prior to that. I have pictures of them but... they might as well be strangers' faces."_

 _"But then... you were just a kid. Who raised you?" she said, a her hand fumbling forward until it found his cheek. She felt the movement as his lips pulled back in a humorless smile._

 _"Children's homes, boarding school. Television. Books."_

 _She didn't move her hand, and he put his on top of hers._

 _"So you were alone?" her voice hitched and this time he really did let out a short breath of laughter._

 _"Don't cry, odango atama, it was a long time ago."_

 _"Still," Usagi said, sniffling. He pulled her into his arms and changed the subject._

But Usagi hadn't been able to stop thinking about it for a long time. _I can't imagine being alone like that._ Usagi always needed to be surrounded by people - family, friends - to be happy. Even the thought of being left alone scared her so much she wanted to cry.

Maybe it scared him, too.

* * *

"Hey, Mamoru? Watcha doing?" Unazuki came into his room, without knocking, making Mamoru jump slightly and look up with a half-glare before returning to his homework.

"Baking a pie," he muttered, lifting his pencil and jotting a formula down in his notebook.

The redhead laughed, "Okay, well, save me some," she said, refusing to take the hint.

He sighed as she pulled up a chair and sat it in backwards, resting her chin on her arms.

"Mamoru."

"What?"

"Did you always picture yourself alone forever or what?"

Mamoru gave her an exasperated look. "No," he said, flatly. Then made a big show of returning to his work. Unazuki, once again, refused to take the hint.

"Cuz you've got the perfect girl, like, right in front of you and it's been weeks and _honestly_." She raised her hands in frustration. "You are _so_ textbook."

"Unazuki, I have asked you repeatedly not to refer to me as 'textbook'," he said, not looking up. "Psych majors," he muttered under his breath.

"Okay, Chiba, well, how about this: You never imagined yourself alone forever, but you did figure you'd eventually meet and marry some perfect, poised woman you'd certainly _like_ but not necessarily _love_ , and all the pieces would fall together so you'd have this picture-perfect life but without any of those scary _feelings_ or _attachments_ that you only read about in poetry anthologies."

Unazuki sat up straighter, spreading her hands in a frame, "Then comes along this girl who is nothing - NOTHING- like you imagined. And you fall in love faster and deeper than you ever thought possible, but you don't make it official with her because you need to keep a clear exit in case you need to cut and run since this isn't how it was 'supposed' to go and what if she leaves you too, right? Right?"

Mamoru sighed, put down his pencil and leveled his de facto sister with a glare that might make someone who hadn't grown up with him shrink away in fear. "It's not like that."

"Coulda fooled me," Unazuki shrugged. "Thing is... are you fooling her, too?"

He closed his book and stood up. "Later, Unazuki," he said, as he left his own room, leaving Unazuki sitting alone with a defeated sigh.

* * *

Ami darted across campus in an uncharacteristic fashion, not caring that she nearly knocked over students as she ran full-tilt for her friends' dorm. She got there just as Usagi was leaving for class, almost colliding with her as she opened the door.

"Usagi," Ami said, grabbing her hands. "Did you talk to Chiba yet?"

She shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him. Ami, are you okay?" Concerned, she pulled her friend inside, letting her catch her breath.

"I came to tell you - I was wrong. I gave bad advice, I'm really sorry. Minako was right: set boundaries, don't let him hurt you. Maybe just avoid him for a while until you get yourself sorted." Ami looked right at Usagi, "Protect your heart first."

"Ami, what's going on?"

Usagi felt fear curl in her stomach at the sympathetic expression in her friend's eyes.

"There's a gala this weekend to celebrate the opening of that new wing in the chemistry building, to honor the alum who donated all that money. All the physical science grad students are invited, which isn't too unusual. But the undergrads are total gossips and it's been all around the department twice that Mamoru Chiba's actually bringing a date. She's one of the top engineering grad students who also modeled in France or something." Ami rolled her eyes, giving a half shrug. "Bunch of gossips that I usually ignore, but I wanted to let you know before-"

"Before I made an idiot of myself, yeah," Usagi said, lowering her eyes. She felt blindsided, with no idea how to take this news. "Thanks, I guess... I mean, thank you. For real." She curled her arms around her stomach as if protecting herself from a physical blow. "I- have class."

"I'll walk you," Ami said. She closed and locked the door behind them, and walked with her arm tightly around her friend.


	3. Something True

When Mamoru came back from the lab mid-morning, Motoki was waiting for him.

"What's up? Haven't seen you in a while, considering we share a house," Mamoru said, as he poured himself another cup of coffee. It'd been a late night of research, then an early morning class and lab. He hadn't been sleeping well, so might as well use the time awake productively. Too bad he felt like a zombie version of himself.

"I'm not the one pulling the disappearing act," Motoki said. "Anyway, that thing for the Matsumoto Chemistry wing tomorrow, I heard you are taking Mariko?"

"Yeah." The coffee was cold and he made a face, putting it in the microwave.

Motoki frowned. "I know what you are doing."

"Heating up your weakass coffee so I can trick myself into thinking it's drinkable?"

"With Mariko," Motoki snapped.

"I was sick of going to these things solo," he shrugged.

"So coincidentally you are taking Mariko, the super hot French model with the best body in the entire physical sciences building?"

"Mariko, the very promising engineering PhD candidate who happened to do a couple perfume ads while studying abroad in Paris," Mamoru said, removing his mug as the microwave dinged. "And yes, the best body in the entire physical sciences building." He raised an eyebrow. "And also, wow, you are lucky Reika's an anthro major."

Motoki didn't laugh. "It's not going to work, you know."

"What's not?"

He leveled Mamoru with a look that made it clear he wasn't buying his feigned ignorance. "I noticed Usagi hasn't been coming by much these past few days."

"We're both busy."

Motoki raised his eyebrows.

"I'm busy," he amended. "She's... who knows."

"What happened between you two? We were certain you w-"

"Yeah, I know, you were all taking bets," Mamoru snapped, "and you've known me for years so honestly you should've known better."

"Should've known you'd cut and run when things got real," Motoki muttered and Mamoru narrowed his eyes.

"You sound like your sister," Mamoru said. "And you both need to learn to mind your own business."

Once again, Motoki ignored the warning flash in Mamoru's eyes, and continued on his rant. "Have you even _thought_ about her feelings? Have you _talked_ to her at all?"

"Trust me, I'm sure she's _fine,_ " Mamoru said, "Serial dater, remember?" He put his still full mug on the counter and grabbed his bag. "I'm going to the library."

Motoki watched him go with a frown.

* * *

The next afternoon Mamoru was reading in the living area when the doorbell rang.

"That'd be Usagi," Motoki said, walking in from the kitchen. "I asked her over."

"Why?" Mamoru's voice was sharp but Motoki didn't care. He was still annoyed at Mamoru right now anyway.

"Reika wants to borrow her crescent moon necklace for the event tonight, she said she'd bring it by," Motoki said. "Really sweet of her, isn't it?"

Mamoru shrugged. He didn't follow Motoki to the door, but he heard him open it and Usagi greet him in her familiar cheerful lilt. The sound of her voice sent a shockwave of longing through him, still, and for a moment the loneliness was crushing.

"Here you go!" Usagi said, handing Motoki a velvet bag. "It's in here. I hope it looks good on her!"

"I'm sure it will. She'll keep it safe for you and we'll return it tomorrow, okay?"

Usagi beamed, "Take your time. I can't believe someone as glamorous as Reika wants to borrow something of mine!" She giggled, "For such a fancy event, too!"

Motoki couldn't help chuckling a little at the stars in her eyes.

"You look nice," he told her, and Usagi flushed prettily, looking down at the blue dress she was wearing.

"It's Minako's," she said, needlessly. "She thought I should dress up tonight." She smoothed the full skirt with her hands, smiling in a way that didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you going somewhere special?"

"The girls are taking me out," she said, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Shakespeare in the park?"

"That sounds fun."

"They thought it'd be a good distr-," she faltered, and blushed deeply. Motoki's heart twisted a little at the look in her eyes, and he felt a sharp stab of anger toward his roommate. Mamoru was such an idiot, and Motoki almost wanted to knock his book right into his face. "To celebrate my C+ on the final," Usagi continued, the smile back on her face.

"Congratulations!" Motoki said, and called back into the living room, "Did you hear, Mamoru? She passed."

"I heard," he stepped out into the hallway, finally, and gave Usagi a slow smile. "Congrats, Odango atama. I knew you could do it."

She giggled, looking sincerely proud. "I can actually pass classes when I work hard," she said, shaking her head a little with an open-mouthed smile. "I keep forgetting until I do it again and again." Usagi bounced a little on the balls of her feet, her hands fluttering through the folds of her dress. "My friends helped me. You helped me. Thanks."

They shared a smile, for a moment, Motoki felt like he wasn't even there. He couldn't enjoy their moment for long though, because Usagi seemed to catch herself first - breaking the spell with another nervous giggle.

"Have fun tonight," she said, and it was like the gravity in the room doubled. "Both of you," she smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Tell Reika I said hi," she said, giving Motoki a quick hug goodbye. She waved at Mamoru, who was holding his book slightly in front of him, almost like a shield.

"Later, Usagi," he said.

As soon as the door closed, Motoki rounded. "You are such an asshole," he snapped and Mamoru narrowed his eyes.

"How so? Because you drag that poor girl here under the guise of borrowed jewelry for what? Just to try to prove a stupid point to me?"

"For your information, Reika really did want to borrow the necklace. And I'm not trying to make a point! You are the one who is acting like a goddamn prick about this entire situation. You think Usagi doesn't know you are taking some other woman to this thing? You think she's fine with it?"

"It's not my problem!" Mamoru said, his voice raising despite himself. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"She's in love with you!" Motoki yelled, and Mamoru recoiled slightly.

"You're wrong," he said, his voice steel.

"Oh c'mon, we _all_ see it, we aren't idiots! Even her friends know, which is why they are trying to cheer her up the night you take some random grad student to a fancy event instead of her!"

" _She's_ the one who-" he started and then caught himself, and just looked at his friend, fuming. _She's_ the one who pulled away. And Motoki was looking at him like he was some sort of villain for - for just trying to put this whole thing behind him. " _None_ of this is your business, Motoki," Mamoru said.

"You're in love with her, too," Motoki snapped.

"Screw you," he responded, aware of how immature he sounded as he stomped down the hallway and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

To her credit, Mariko picked up the tension in the car almost immediately. "Is everything okay?" she asked Mamoru, who gave her a tight smile before returning to look at the road.

Reika leaned up from the backseat. "Lover's quarrel," she giggled to Maiko, pointing between Mamoru and Motoki.

"Oh, okay," Mariko said, laughing a little. "I thought it was me."

"Don't be silly," Reika said, raising her eyebrows at Motoki.

When they got to the event, it wasn't much better. "Is Mamoru always this... sulky?" Mariko murmured to Reika as they walked to the woman's room together later that night. "Or is it due to the fight with Motoki?"

Reika sighed as she fixed her hair in the mirror. "The truth is-" then she froze, looking at her reflection with a gasp. "Oh no!"

By the time Reika found Motoki, she was practically in tears. "I lost Usagi's necklace," she said, pulling on his arm. "You have to help me find it!"

Mariko had already sprung to action, looking under their chairs and moving around the table cloth.

"It's okay, we'll find it," Motoki said but Reika shook her head, still looking crestfallen.

"What if we don't? What if it's an heirloom or something?"

"It's not an heirloom," Mamoru said from behind her, "she got it in eighth grade from her friend Naru."

Motoki gave Reika a pointed, frustrated look but she waved it off, "Not now," she muttered to him.

"I'll look in the bathroom," Mariko said.

"And I'll check my car," Mamoru said, pulling out his keys.

The evening was spent searching as best they could at a crowded event where they were supposed to be making social small-talk with their professors and peers but by the end of the night the necklace hadn't turned up.

Reika was despondent on the ride home. "Mamoru, will you drop Motoki and me back at the house right away so I can call Usagi?" she said from where she was wrapped in Motoki's comforting embrace. "I won't feel okay until I talk to her."

"Of course."

Mamoru got out of the car, too, and walked Reika and Motoki to the door. "Reika, it's okay," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I promise, Usako won't be angry at you."

She sniffled a little, dabbing at the corner of her eye with Motoki's handkerchief. "I know," she said, looking at Mamoru forlornly. "But she'll be sad."

He sighed. Then he shifted his gaze to Motoki. "I'm going to take Mariko home now. Don't wait up." He jogged back to the car as Motoki sent a death stare to his back.

"What did he mean 'don't wait up'?" Motoki muttered as he unlocked the door, "I can't believe he's going to spend the night with that girl, what is he thinking, he's going to ruin everything, that man is the stupidest-"

Reika stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Sweetheart, it's okay." But even she didn't sound convinced.

* * *

The next morning, Usagi was halfway through her second bowl of sugary cereal, watching the sunlight move slowly across the kitchen floor. She rested her cheek on her palm and sighed. It was still early by her standards - although probably not by anyone else's save Minako who was still fast asleep in the other room. But still, she felt tired, hadn't been sleeping so well lately. The knock on the door startled her a little, and she wondered which one of her friends was coming over in some vain attempt to cheer her up. She loved them for trying, but man, sometimes you just need to let a girl wallow.

She stood on her tip-toes and looked through the peephole, pulling back in surprise to see Mamoru at her front steps. Quickly, she ran a hand through her bangs and wished she'd thought to throw on something a little nicer than her favorite jeans and a comfy t-shirt but ... Shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath, braced herself, and opened the door.

"Mamoru, what are y-"

"Here," Mamoru said, holding out his hand.

Curiously, Usagi reached out and the necklace was dropped into her palm unceremoniously. She blinked. "But...Reika said she lost it," Usagi said.

In response, Mamoru gave a half shrug, one hand still in his pocket. He looked uncomfortable. "I found it."

He didn't mention how after he dropped off Mariko, he returned to the event hall and made the facilities manager stay up with him and the cleaning crew, searching every nook and cranny until he spotted it, halfway under the floor molding where it must have been accidentally kicked after falling from Reika's neck. "You should fix the clasp."

"Thank you," she whispered, curling her fingers around the chain. Shutting her eyes with relief, she clutched it to her chest for a moment. "I was so sad when I heard it was lost."

She gave him that same smile from before, that sort of sad ghost of a smile that made him want to hunt down whoever hurt her - even thought he knew he only needed to look in the mirror. "Was it a fun night?" her tone was wistful. "Do you think you and that girl will go out again?"

"Don't-" his voice was harsher than he intended and she recoiled slightly. "Sorry," he muttered. Mamoru couldn't remember the last time he was this exhausted, and it wasn't only from lack of sleep.

He scrubbed his hand over his face. "I can't ... can't keep this up, Usako. I tried."

He was so drained from trying to fight that insatiable need to have Usagi with him. Avoiding her wasn't working. Taking out another girl hadn't worked - Mariko was beautiful, intelligent, and a good conversationalist, and flirted with all him evening. But all that did was remind him how much he wanted someone else by his side- that flustered, smart-mouthed, bright-eyed girl with the cute hair and expressive face who challenged him at every single turn. The girl he'd whispered his secrets to late at night, the girl who took his arm and called him 'Mamo-chan' with that cheeky grin, the girl whose kisses made him shudder with desire.

After he'd finally come home the previous night, necklace in hand, he still hadn't been able to sleep - thoughts of Usagi had consumed him every time he tried to shut his eyes. He spent hours at his desk, hands in his hair, just staring at nothing and pondering the unending ache in his chest, thinking he finally understood what all those poets had been writing about this whole time.

"I don't have any fight left in me, and I know we have so much to lose but I.. I'm already lost." It's time to give up the ghost.

"Mamo-chan, I don't understand," she said, tugging slightly on his shirt, trying to get him to look at her. His eyes were red-rimmed and his hair was messed, and he just looked exhausted. "Are you okay?"

"No," he said, meeting her eyes and spreading his hands out, "I'm not okay, and I'm not going to be okay unless - unless you-" he sighed, running his hand through his hair in one agitated movement. Without even thinking about it, he'd cupped her face in his hand and kissed her mouth, a movement more hurried, more desperate than he intended. For a blissful moment she kissed him back, eyes fluttering shut, but then he felt her body tense and she pulled away, shaking her head, fresh tears falling.

"If you don't feel the same way about me-" he started but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes.

"What the hell do you mean 'if I don't feel the same'?" she demanded, "I've been in love with you practically since we met!"

The genuine surprise on his face made her want to scream. "How could you not have _seen_ it?" she cried.

He shrugged a little, still overflowing with nervous energy. "You were the one who pushed me away, Usako."

She lifted her gaze heavenward, putting her fists to her eyes, the necklace still clasped so tightly in her hand she could feel the crescent moon digging into her palm. "Because I thought that- I- ugrrh!" She looked at him and sighed. "How are you _so_ infuriating?"

"It's a gift."

Usagi sighed, letting her shoulders fall and the tension uncoil from her body. "I don't know what you want me to do."

"Well-, I... I have this for you." He handed her folded piece of lined paper.

Looking at him curiously, Usagi blinked away her tears as best she could and unfolded the paper. "Something True," she murmured, reading out loud. "'You asked me and I can offer answer, sadly not in iambic pentameter'," she read, and laughed a little through her tears at the line. Then her eyes skimmed a few more lines and she looked up in wonder. "You wrote me a poem," she breathed.

He nodded, with a helpless shrug. "I couldn't sleep last night and... Well, you asked for one. Before."

With shaking hands she read through the rest, brows lifting and mouth moving slightly as she came to the end: "With respect to Poe and the dramatic death he gives, I promise you, dear, in this poem we both live," she again gave a watery laugh. Then she read to the last two lines, blinking through her tears. "From now until forever and somehow I always knew," she wavered, "you would be my 'something true'."

For a moment neither spoke, and she lifted her eyes to his in amazement.

"It's beautiful," she said. Again, he shrugged awkwardly.

"It's not Shakespeare, but-" he never got to finish, because suddenly she'd jumped into his arms, and his mouth found hers again and, well, speaking was highly overrated anyway. He tightened his arms around her, her feet barely touching the floor. She had her arms linked around his neck, the poem and necklace still dangling from one hand. Usagi wanted to stay in this moment forever, not caring at all about the pull on her back or the drying tears on her face - not when he was kissing her like this- so hungrily, passionately...

"Hey!" A pillow smacked Usagi in the back of the head, and she reluctantly pulled back and turned around to face a disgruntled looking Minako, still in pajamas, hair sticking up everywhere. "People _live_ here," she said to Usagi. Then she glared at Mamoru. "Aren't you dating some prissy grad student?"

"No," he said, fingers tightening on Usagi's waist slightly.

Minako noticed the movement, and paused. "Oh," she said. "Good. Well. Carry on then."

Then she turned back around, waving her hand behind her. "I'm going back to bed. Don't wake me."

Once the door closed behind her, Mamoru pressed his lips to Usagi's forehead as she giggled. "Sorry for my roommate..."

Seemingly not caring about their position awkwardly blocking the doorway, Mamoru leaned down toward her again, and Usagi couldn't help smiling against his kiss. Whether it was fate or her flustered lie or cheesecake bites or even his friends' unending meddling, whatever had brought them together, Usagi was glad it had.

* * *

Notes:

sorry for the utter cheesiness of the ending but w/e sometimes you just need that


End file.
